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 Home > Regional MRC Coordinators > Gail N. Newell > Region VIII Newsletters > Region VIII Newsletter - December 2005A Quarterly e-Newsletter Serving the MRC Units of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and WyomingIn this issue:
Region VIII Conference HighlightsThank you to all who were able to attend our first Region VIII MRC Conference here in Downtown Denver November 14–15! It was wonderful to be able to gather together and share information and hear what other MRC units in the region are doing. For those of you were not able to attend, here are some of the highlights: We had speakers on the following subjects:
There also was plenty of time for networking during the 1 1/2-day conference. The conference evaluations were very helpful. Overall, out of a possible 5 points, the conference scored 4.6 points. Many participants indicated they would like to have a longer conference in the future, so we will probably hold at least a full 2-day conference next year. Many volunteered their home city or state as a location for next year, so we will keep you posted on when and where the next Region VIII MRC annual conference will be held. MRC National Leadership ConferenceThe MRC Program Office is happy to announce the 2006 MRC National Leadership Conference. It will be held April 18–21, 2006, in Dallas, Texas. MRC leaders are invited to participate in this networking and knowledge-sharing conference. More details about the registration process, agenda, and meeting site will be forthcoming. If you are interested in sharing the lessons that you have learned working with your MRC unit, please note the “Call for Presentations." The Program Office will be accepting proposals for Concurrent Session presentations of 30–35 minutes in length with 10–15 minutes Q&A. If you would like, you can team up with other MRC Leaders for a panel discussion on a particular topic or come up with other creative ways to highlight a subject matter. The MRC Web site has all of the information you will need to submit a proposal. Avian InfluenzaWhat is avian influenza (bird flu)?Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian influenza viruses. These flu viruses naturally occur in birds and are contagious among birds. It has proven to be fatal for domesticated birds including chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Can bird flu viruses infect humans?Usually, bird flu viruses do not infect humans, but more than100 human infections with bird flu virus have been confirmed since 1997. The symptoms of bird flu depend on which virus caused the infection. It can range from a cough, sore throat, fever, and muscle aches to pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases, and other complications. Visit the CDC Web site for more information on Avian Influenza. Pandemic InfluenzaThe potential threat of a flu pandemic has become a main topic of discussion. Each state has been working on their pandemic flu plan, and the Department of Health and Human Services has published the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan. The critical components of the HHS plan include:
If you are interested in seeing the state specific pandemic flu plans, see the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists clickable map of the states and their plans. Emergency PreparednessPlease let me know by e-mail or by telephone of any emergency preparedness conferences or exercises that are going on in your area so that I can post this information in the newsletter. National Health ObservancesJanuary is National Blood Donor Month. Visit the American Association of Blood Banks. There is a Disaster Response Handbook, which contains helpful information on terrorism and how it could affect our blood supply. February is Heart Month. Visit the Web site to see what special events will be happening. Heart disease is still the #1 killer for American women, so let’s increase awareness in our communities by contacting 1-888-MY-Heart to get a free red dress pin. Happy Holidays everyone! See you next year!Region VIII Regional Coordinator Contact InformationGail Newell Last Updated on 8/14/2006 |
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